The World in 2030

The World in 2030 19
will be faced with water scarcity and this is likely to cause
serious political unrest and conflict. IV
In June 2007 Credit Suisse published a report called
‘Water’. In the report the insurance firm pointed out:
- Water demand is doubling every 20 years – more
than twice the rate of population growth.
- Water utilization rates have doubled in the past 45
years.
- Seventy per cent of global demand for water is
agriculture, 22 per cent industry and eight per cent
domestic.
- The absolute quantity of water supply is the same
now as it was 10,000 years ago.
- Asia is home to 700 million people who drink unsafe
water and two billion who do not have adequate
sanitation.
- American water consumption is 70 per cent greater
than European consumption.
- An estimated third of the world’s population currently
lives in water-stressed or water-scarce countries.
- In most countries, the price of water fails to reflect
adequately the cost of supply.
- An estimated 85 per cent of domestic water usage
ends up wasted.
- By 2025, 18 countries will have water demand in
excess of supply and 58 countries (or 64 per cent of
the population) will be under significant pressure. 19
IV
However, some serious long-term efforts are being mounted to address the problem of future water
shortage and hopes are high for a new nano-plastic membrane that is capable of converting saltwater
into freshwater.